|
The Life and Mind of DamnBlackHeart
This is to help me stay actively writing. So expect to see rants, tips on writing, thoughts on subjects, me complaining of boredom, reviews, anime, movies, video games, conventions, tv shows and whatever life throws at me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cat owners need to know that a way to stop your cat from scratching up the furniture is to get them a scratching post and to teach them to use it. Cats do not scratch to make us angry, they just need to scratch. Scratching is a natural hardwired behavior in cats, just like breathing and purring, and every cat owner must know why cats scratch.
In the wild, cats scratch around their immediate environment to signal their presence to other cats and to claim the area in question. The marking takes two forms: visual and olfactory. The visual is in the form of clawing marks and is so obvious that even we humans can recognise it. The olfactory mark is subtler, involving the release of pheromones. These are substances secreted from the body to be picked up by the number of the same species, causing them to alter their behavior.
Scratching has additional function too. It removes the nail sheaths, outer layer of dead cells from the claw. You might think your cat scratches to sharpen their claws, but it more likely that it’s to provide them with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of their paws.
Now that you know why they scratch here are some methods to help keep them from messing up your furniture. Cats often like to scratch after eating and sleeping, so be sure there is something to scratch near where they eat and sleep. A scratching post is an excellent investment for your cat. It will allow them to scratch, stretch and exercise all at once. If you want to provide your cat not only with a scratching surface, but a place where they can climb, perch and sleep you should consider a cat tree.
Again, scratching posts are a must have if you have issues with the cat scratching up your stuff. For example, if your cat likes to scratch up your sofa it helps to place two scratching posts on each side of the sofa. What comes next is teaching your cat to scratch the posts and not your sofa.
Some people like to give their cats treats for when they do something right, such as using the scratching posts. Why? Because it enforces the good behavior of using the post whenever they need to scratch. If they ignore the posts and continue to scratch the sofa (or anything else you don’t want them to scratch) try spraying the sofa (or items) with a scent they hate.
Doing so will repel them from going near the object. Smells that are disgusting to cats are anything citrus (like lemons, limes, oranges) and herbs (lavender, rosemary), garlic chives, bananas, used coffee grounds, etc. To most cats those scents are terrible but not harmful to them and it all depends on the cat. What might be annoying smell for one cat could be a tolerable scent to another. Just be sure to do your research and stay away from toxic scents that can cause severe illness to cats (such as mothballs/mothball flakes, cayenne pepper, essential oils, peppermint, etc.)
Another way to repel cats from scratching the sofa is to cover it with something they don’t like the feel of such as foil, or plastic, sticky tape, etc.
Lastly, cutting their nails regularly may help keep a cat from scratching the furniture, or at least reduce the damage done by its scratching. It helps that you start clipping their nails when they are young. It will get them used to having its nails clipped and make it easier to do when you have to. Just be sure to praise the cat when you clip their nails and reward them with a treat.
Note: Some cat owners choose to declaw their pet but it’s NOT recommended. It’s painful and can led to secondary complications. Cats’ claws are a vital part of their anatomy, essential to balance, mobility and survival. Having their claws remove does cause them physical, emotional and behavioral complications which can be irreversible.
 DamnBlackHeart · Mon Aug 13, 2012 @ 12:05am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
